Ashland Police using bait bikes to catch thieves

Ashland, Ore. –Ashland Police are using new technology to put bike thieves behind bars.

The police department is equipping ‘bait’ bikes with GPS trackers to help officers track and apprehend bike thieves. Their most recent purchase, a $1,500 mountain bike has already been stolen three times in the last 24 hours, resulting in three arrests.

“We can track the bike in real time and radio it’s position in real time and it’s really kind of neat watching it all unfold”

Ashland PD says bike thefts are down 20% from the first part of 2013 when the ‘bait bike’ program first began in the city.